Mandeville's Krewe of Lyra going co-ed for 2013 parade

Mandeville’s Krewe of Lyra, an all-female organization, has decided to include men in the group in an effort to ensure they will be able to parade during Carnival 2013. According to Lyra Captain Mary Grace Knapp, the decision to go co-ed was voted upon at the krewe’s membership meeting on Sept. 25.

Krewe of Lyra parade rolls in Mandeville on March 4, 2011. Times-Picayune archive

“It’s our next phase of growth,” Knapp said in an email from the krewe. She also noted that Lyra is actively recruiting new members and also seeking sponsorships from local businesses.

Lyra has held steady with approximately 120 total members since it first took to the streets in 2011, following the Original Krewe of Orpheus, an all-male club. But the cost of staging a parade costs between $50,000 and $100,000, and the club has not seen an significant increase in membership to help defray the cost per person, she said.

“We have to do this or there’s a chance there will be no parade in Mandeville that night,” Knapp said.

That’s news to Orpheus Captain Brett Lowe, however, whose parade is scheduled to precede Lyra on Feb. 8, 2013. Lowe wrote in an email that his krewe is “disappointed with (Lyra’s choice) to go co-ed, due to being direct competition for members. We are still discussing, with Mayor (Donald) Villere, what will be done this year.”

Lowe said Orpheus has sold its floats, but plans to rent floats for its 2013 parade.

“(The rentals) were torn down to the chassis, and rebuilt from the ground up,” Lowe said. “So we will be riding on brand new floats.”

Orpheus has averaged 300 to 350 members since it began parading 25 years ago, Lowe wrote, and that “Like most krewes … we have had some decline in the last few years. That has made putting on the type of parade we are accustomed to very challenging. We are working to put the best possible parade we can on the streets of Mandeville. Membership is the key.”

Knapp agrees, and said Lyra will work hard to reach the 200-member mark. Moving quickly is important, she said, because floats must be rented by November, by which time, there will be only three months to prepare for the parade.

In an effort to recruit new members, Lyra will hold a fall membership party on Nov. 3 at the Mandeville Community Center. The party, which is scheduled for 7 p.m., will have refreshments and costuming is encouraged. Christian Serpas will provide musical entertainment. There will be a small, yet undetermined fee, to attend the party.

Knapp said membership in Lyra costs $550 annually, which includes entry in the parade and all social functions the club offers throughout the year. A social membership in the krewe costs $275.